Israel A Link In Contacts

They said the aims were to improve relations, end Iranian support for terrorism and help gain the release of American hostages held in Lebanon.

The plan did not mention supplying arms and spare parts to Iran, the officials said. But shortly afterward, they said, the White House accepted an offer from Israel to use its contacts in Iran to deliver older American-made equipment.

In exchange, the Israelis received newer American-made weapons of roughly equal value.

The officials described what one called a ``two-track`` policy.

On one hand, the administration worked through intermediaries, including Robert McFarlane, the President`s former national security adviser, to see if better U.S.-Iranian relations were possible.

At about the same time, working through the Israelis, it combined arms shipments with intensified efforts to free the hostages.

Several sources here and in Israel said the efforts to free the hostages quickly eclipsed the broader diplomatic goals.

In fact, one critic of the policy, said release of the hostages had been the primary goal from the beginning.